Le Rose De S Rose, France Recipe

Prepare and preheat

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment; grease parchment. Sift together the flour, baking powder and sea salt into a bowl and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and 1 cup sugar on medium-high until light and pale, about 3–4 minutes.

Add eggs and flavor: Reduce speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Scrape bowl. Mix in vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon rose water until combined.

Combine wet and dry: With mixer on low, add about one-third of the flour mixture, then half the milk, another third of flour, remaining milk, and finish with the last of the flour. Mix until just combined; avoid overmixing.

Color and bake: If desired, add pink food coloring and briefly mix to swirl the color evenly. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake 22–26 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and cakes spring back slightly. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool completely.

Warm milk: In a medium saucepan, heat 2 cups milk with half the sugar over medium heat just until it begins to simmer; do not boil.

Whisk egg yolks and starch: In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, remaining sugar and cornstarch until smooth and pale.

Temper and thicken: Slowly pour about one-third of the hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper. Return tempered mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a gentle boil, about 2–4 minutes. Boil 30 seconds while whisking to cook out starch taste.

Finish and chill: Remove from heat, whisk in butter and 1 tsp rose water and optional pink color and crushed freeze-dried raspberries if using. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean bowl to remove any lumps. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin and chill in fridge until thoroughly cold, at least 2 hours.

Create warm meringue: Combine egg whites and 1.5 cups sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (bain-marie). Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture feels warm to the touch (about 140°F/60°C) and no sugar grains remain, about 3–4 minutes.

Whip to stiff peaks: Transfer to the stand mixer bowl and whisk with the whisk attachment on high until glossy stiff peaks form and the bowl is cool to the touch, about 8–10 minutes.

Add butter: With mixer on medium, add softened butter a few tablespoons at a time. Mixture may look curdled; continue beating — it will come together into a smooth buttercream. Add rose water, vanilla, pink coloring, and crushed freeze-dried raspberries; beat until uniform and silky. If needed, chill briefly and rewhip to desired consistency.

Level and brush: If the cake tops have domed, level them with a serrated knife. Brush each layer lightly with simple syrup to keep moist.

Layering: Place the first cake layer on a cake board or plate. Spread a thin layer (about 3–4 tbsp) of warmed raspberry jam over the cake, then pipe or spread about one-third of the chilled rose pastry cream evenly over the jam. Add a thin smear of buttercream at the edge to act as a dam if desired. Top with second cake layer and repeat jam and pastry cream layers if making three layers (for two layers, use remaining cream as filling and crumb coat).

Crumb coat and chill: Using an offset spatula, apply a thin crumb coat of Swiss meringue buttercream over the whole cake to seal crumbs. Chill the cake 20–30 minutes in the refrigerator to set the crumb coat.

Final coat and decoration: Apply a final generous coat of buttercream, smoothing with a bench scraper for clean sides. Pipe rosettes or ruffles around the top edge using a star tip and remaining buttercream. Arrange fresh raspberries and edible rose petals on top. Optionally apply small pieces of gold leaf to a few raspberries or petals for an elegant touch.

Chill and serve: Chill briefly to set (15–30 minutes). Bring to room temperature 20–30 minutes before serving for best texture. Slice with a hot, dry knife for clean cuts and enjoy.